Tenth of December

George Saunders writes stories about regular people who aspire to be better. Better fathers, better husbands, better achievers. They almost never succeed. Their heartbreak, their delusions — this is the crux of Saunders’ work, and although his stories are laugh-out-loud funny, they’re never cruel. He writes about America — about us — with unwavering compassion. Yet “Tenth of December,” his latest collection, subtly critiques the value system that sends most of us scurrying after nothing, a society in which curating one’s plummeting self-esteem is a full-time job. Not only is Saunders a dazzling writer with spectacular tone control, he’s a true original who “sounds” like no one else. He is blessed, and so are we readers.

MK Kronickles

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Thought Of The Week

Runyon Canyon Park, a unique wilderness area in the heart of Hollywood, is currently under threat. Expensive studies have been commissioned, catastrophic problems identified, and Strategic Plans (many of them wildly expensive) formulated. The standard narrative promulgated by those with political and financial interests: Runyon Canyon is being “loved to death.” It’s crumbling from too much impact and not enough care. The doomsayers claim the Park is over-run with visitors, litter and dog poo, and…

New Discoveries

If you require additional evidence that the presidency of Donald J. Trump poses an existential danger to the United States of America, read The Fifth Risk, the latest work of journalism from popular author Michael Lewis. This short (fewer than 225 pages), easy-to-follow book profiles several dedicated federal employees in various Departments, including Energy, Agriculture and...